There's been widespread speculation about the new legislation being introduced under the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act), which will ensure that websites are accessible to blind and disabled users. Try to find specific information about it on the Internet and chances are you'll come up empty handed.
The RNIB (Royal National Institute for the Blind) and the DRC (Disability Rights Commission), two of the most renowned advocates for the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) and accessible websites, have no specific information about the laws and what websites specifically need to do in order to meet the legal requirements.
So, what does the law state?
Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act refers to the provision of goods, facilities and services. The Code of Practice, which specifically mentions websites, can be downloaded in its entirety from the DRC website (http://www.drc-gb.org/open4all/law/code%20of%20practice.pdf 676kb).
The relevant quotes from this 175-page document are:
When does the law come into force?
It's widely believed that the new laws will be implemented in October of this year, when the final part of the DDA comes into force. This final piece of legislation actually refers to service providers having to consider making permanent physical adjustments to their premises and is not related to the Internet in any way.
The law about accessible websites came into force on 1st October 1999 (http://www.drc-gb.org/open4all/law/code%20of%20practice.pdf) and the Code of Practice for this section of the Act was published on 27th May 2002 (http://www.drc-gb.org/open4all/law/code%20of%20practice.pdf). This means that the majority of websites are already in breach of the law.
Can you be sued?
Well, probably. The RNIB claim that they've considered taking up a number of legal cases against organisations with regard to their websites. When they raised the accessibility issues of the website under the DDA, companies have typically made the necessary changes, rather than facing the prospect of legal action.
The DRC has now published their findings from their formal investigation into 1000 websites. (http://www.drc-gb.org/open4all/law/code%20of%20practice.pdf). If your website was included then you will have to start thinking about making it accessible to all web users in the very near future.
What do you need to do to comply?
It's widely believed that if, or perhaps more appropriately when, a case makes it to court that the W3C accessibility guidelines will be used to assess a website's accessibility and ultimately decide the outcome of the case. The W3C is the Internet governing body and its web accessibility guidelines can be found at http://www.drc-gb.org/open4all/law/code%20of%20practice.pdf.
To further complicate matters, the W3C offers three different levels of compliance. Priority 1 guidelines, (which must be satisfied according to the W3C) will almost certainly have to be adhered to. Priority 2 guidelines (which should be satisfied and are the EU recommended level of compliance (http://www.drc-gb.org/open4all/law/code%20of%20practice.pdf), or some part of, will probably also need to be adhered to too.
The courts will also no doubt take guidance from the outcome of an Australian case in 2000, when a blind man successfully sued the Sydney Olympics organising committee over their inaccessible website (http://www.drc-gb.org/open4all/law/code%20of%20practice.pdf).
Disability Discrimination Act in full: http://www.drc-gb.org/open4all/law/code%20of%20practice.pdf
About The Author
This article was written by Trenton Moss. He's crazy about web usability and accessibility - so crazy that he went and started his own web usability and accessibility consultancy (Webcredible - http://www.drc-gb.org/open4all/law/code%20of%20practice.pdf) to help make the Internet a better place for everyone.
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare"I am a writer, not a business-person. I don't want... Read More
When we review the sites of potential clients, there are... Read More
Wow, we`ve already taken a domain and chosen a web... Read More
No matter what browser you may want to use, you... Read More
There are lots of HTML editors on the market, however,... Read More
Installment 1Developing State-enabled Applications With PHPWhen a user is browsing... Read More
Customer service questionnaires can help your clients better understand their... Read More
In the late 1990's three San Francisco based web developers... Read More
1. Address your targeted audience on your business site. Example:... Read More
An interesting eCommerce success factor that isn't precisely overlooked, but... Read More
Are you aware that 90% of the websites on the... Read More
A website is like an information flow, with you as... Read More
Selecting the Perfect Domain NameThe first issue I have with... Read More
Dance is how you pamper your soul and satiate your... Read More
"'Page Not Found' on this Server. Check the URL and... Read More
Now that you have got your domain name registered, your... Read More
Whether you have your own business already, or are looking... Read More
While most marketers are beginning to understand the critical importance... Read More
Today it seems everyone is jumping on the entrepreneur bandwagon,... Read More
When used to describe a web site, the term "sticky"... Read More
Although there are significant differences among the various types of... Read More
Yahoo has long offered email, an online calendar, notes, bookmarks,... Read More
SiteSpinnerSiteSpinner is a user-friendly web site development tool that includes... Read More
Your website conversion rate should concern you. This simply refers... Read More
With more and more countries around the world passing laws... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..Research reveals three important facts:1) The Internet is one of... Read More
For years now I've been looking to start my own... Read More
Optimal website design is the art of logical navigation.It will... Read More
Design and layout can make your communication come alive and... Read More
This is a growing concern amongst many business owners. Does... Read More
Developing a website with content that entices visitors to return... Read More
A website is the most versatile and cost-effective marketing tool... Read More
When used to describe a web site, the term "sticky"... Read More
Q. Hey, Cathy: I'm just setting up a website. What... Read More
If you were asked to put a value on your... Read More
"'Page Not Found' on this Server. Check the URL and... Read More
The Internet has opened a whole New World of opportunity... Read More
A website lets you put your products in front of... Read More
Yahoo has long offered email, an online calendar, notes, bookmarks,... Read More
Absolutely everything stems from the purpose of your website -... Read More
Go to any internet marketing forum you want these days... Read More
Everywhere you look these days, people are telling you that... Read More
The cost of setting up a web site is dirt... Read More
If you are looking for creating your online presence you... Read More
"I don't sell anything online, I don't advertise online, in... Read More
There's been widespread speculation about the new legislation being introduced... Read More
When I started my company in 2002, I knew I... Read More
When we review the sites of potential clients, there are... Read More
If your company own one or more stores, you might... Read More
Knowledge is power.And undoubtedly, it is the key to making... Read More
Web Development |